Comments for The Angry Black Womanhttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com
Politics, Race, Gender, Sexuality, AngerSun, 11 Oct 2009 11:21:13 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/Comment on About by Kellyhttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-35860
Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:24:19 +0000#comment-35860I just found my way to this site and have been making my way through the Rules and Required Reading. The articles I’ve read so far have been wonderful. Thank you for organizing this site!
]]>Comment on About by Aahneen Denommehttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-34213
Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:08:45 +0000#comment-34213Oh, and one more topic I’d like to discuss.

For those (such as Gloria Hopkins) who hope to elide the white privilege that has formed the basis of society today, I have to say I am disappointed. While it is true that there are some very cool (for lack of a better term) white people today who bear no immediate responsibility for generations of racist oppression, they are also people that exist in a position of privilege because they society they reside in was built on the backs of other non-white peoples, and built to the benefit of the future generations of whites. It’s the old “my great great great grandfather was a racist, but I’m not” claim.

Simply because we would like to imagine a world without race or racism doesn’t make it so. Millions of people the world over (not just America) remain in flux because of the oppressive and racist policies of white colonizers. It’s not enough that white people now say “we’re over race and we’re all sorry” – people are still suffering and struggling under racism that has been imbedded into American political structures. Yes, race has no basis in biological fact, that is true, but it is very real in its consequences and cannot be written off because it’s difficult for whites to take responsibility for their ancestors behavior.

To those who question Gloria Hopkins Nativeness and assert that they suspect she is definitely “more white” in her mindset, please don’t. One person fell back on the “you don’t know me so don’t judge me”, yet thought it perfectly okay to post a comment “voicing an opinion” that they knew what part of her heritage she was REALLY aligning with (rather, hiding behind “voicing and opinion”). This achieves nothing. There are people who are “100%” Native that agree with the perspectives she espoused about the “end of race”, and accusing her of “thinking white” achieves nothing other than highlighting your own ignorance.

The goal should not be to attempt to strip people mixed people of their non-white identities who don’t see things in a “Native” or “black” enough way, an in essence re-inscribe the stereotypes of what “Native” or “black” thought should be – that’s very essentially. The goal should be to educate people those who seem to have a limited perspective on the current state of racial issues, and make them into allies…..not enemies.

]]>Comment on About by Aahneen Denommehttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-34212
Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:56:52 +0000#comment-34212I’d just like to throw in that those who equate Indigenous enslavement with white enslavement of black people, need to read their histories from another source, and recognize the very limited scope that they are reading their histories from.

Indigenous peoples (Indians) such as the Cherokees and Seminoles did not engage in slavery out of racist-based presumptions, as white people did. For centuries Indigenous communities accepted workers – “slaves” from other Indigenous groups in times of war and negotiation. Sons and daughters were often traded off to other communities, in exchange for other people. In times of war, the capture and retention of slaves was a very significant element of battle.

This is NOT, however, the same ideology underpinning white slavery which sought to use it as a very specific tool of oppression meant to hold back people deemed inferior based on skin color. It is crucial to be aware of these vastly differing approaches before grouping people together. Along the same lines, when considering the history texts that you learn Indian peoples were slaveholders, again consider the source. The same texts that inaccurately/incompletely address black history from black perspective also neglect to address history and perspective from Indian perspective.

]]>Comment on About by 1Lovehttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-34125
Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:07:50 +0000#comment-34125This site must be a great catharsis! Props for you doing you.

Bigotry, ethnic stratification, xenophobia, prejudice, racism, sexism and the countless other terms for exclusivity point to the human race’s preponderance towards superficiality. I mean how can folks be faulted for this? The first thing you notice, if you are not blind, is how something or someone looks. On top of that, our loved ones, environment, culture and even religions help to cloud true independent judgement and thought. It is a rare person who can say that they wait to get to know someone before they pass any judgement on them.

I am the child of a French-Canadian, Scotch-Irish, English and Sioux father and a Spanish-Filipina, German, Chinese mother. That’s right. A true American! Guess what I look like? Beyond the word “beautiful” you probably thought “WTF?!” Well I basically look like a typical Caucasian, whatever that is! I’m like 1/8th of eight different “races”, I guess! So I’m Everyman…

My father was in the USAF and as a result we were very nomadic. Most of his “tours” lasted ~3-4 years as do most permanent military assignments. As an elementary aged child in the mid-late 1970’s I did notice that the integration “on base” was much more advanced as compared to “off base”. I had White friends, Asian friends, Black friends, Hispanic friends, Mixed friends– well just “friends” as far as I was concerned. I never, ever thought about coloration or lack thereof, just that you were “cool”, genuine and trustworthy, or you were the opposite. That’ not to say that there was no racism or other “isms” in the military’s version of America, just that it was not as apparent. Trust me there was, and are plenty of bigots in every branch of the military. Of ALL races, but especially the Whites.

I lived the majority of my primary school years in the South. My father took assignments in Alabama, Florida and South Texas. We lived on base in the first two and in a subdivision a ways from the base in South Texas. Our neighborhood was very integrated. Many of my friends were black, but many were white and hispanic too. I had two asian friends. Most of them didn’t care what ethnicity I claimed and I didn’t care what their government defined “race’ was either. This was during middle school so kids started developing “cliques”. I noticed at school that there were mixed crews, but that many were racially exclusive. Mexican kids, white kids, black kids started where their parents probably left off. I saw and experienced the first signs of intolerance and hatred.

My father’s last assignment took us to the Philippines. Thank God! I was just starting high school, so I’m glad i didn’t get stuck in Texas, for numerous reasons. My first day of high school in this new place was culture shock. Every single ethnicity you could imagine from different regions of America and sometimes the world was at my school. I liked it.

Suffice it to say that it was 1982 and I befriended a group of like-minded young cats who all became B-Boys in some form or another. We had Filipino, Mestizo (Half Filipino-Half American), White, Black, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and more in the various incarnations of my crew. No racism or hate was tolerated. In fact “tolerance” was not tolerated. That was a term used by evil adults, social scientists and other forms of fascists :)! It was pure, unadulterated “ACCEPTANCE” or nothin’ . To this day most Americans still use that limited term– tolerance. Like they’re swallowing some nasty tasting medicine or something. Idiots, hahaha!

Anywhy, I dated whoever the hell I wanted. Every single “color”. A real African chick and a real Swedish chick and everything in between. Being a B-Boy I was loved by the real and hated by the plastic. The chicks definitely felt me, if you know what I mean. Most crackerish white and asian folk called me a “wanna-be”. That perplexed me because my pasty self was in no way delusional enough to think I could ever have anything but the appearance of a “typical white boy” to the average savage. Albeit I was muy guapo ;)!

Anyway, I often wondered why it was alright to emulate the staus quo, but anytime you vibed with something outside of that the ignoramuses started with the “labeling”. Would wanting to do a “Black” thing (whatever that means) be so bad? Why? Was I the first non-Black person to do a “Black” thing? What about Blues, Jazz, Rock-n-Roll…

I did feel that I was human and all of us humans were only one race. Proof of that is the fact we can all procreate and have viable procreating offspring. We aren’t tigers and lions, or donkeys and horses.

But really with my popularity and skills what the heck did that common thinking mean to me anyway. I thought, for a supposed Caucasian I had all the graf’ writing ability, lyrical acumen as an emcee, rhythm as a popper and breaker and musicality as a d.j. (“turntablist”) of the stereotypical “Black’ B-Boy. It’s not the style it’s the stylist.

Heck if you were a B-Boy, Black B-Boy sounded weird. I mean in the true (Hip Hop) culture a B-Boy/B-Girl is that and nothing else. Not “that white emcee” or that “dope asian turntablist”. Only you fools who have helped perpetuate social engineering and “assimilation” talk or think like that. Now you know what Eminem was trying to say, but can’t ’cause he’s tainted by the boosheet too. Ridiculous.

So I’m here to tell you that you can label yourself all you want. Identify yourself as an angry person, or clarify by adding “green” and “hermaphrodite” if you want. America loves caricatures. To those of us who have grown up with no thought of limits based on anything other than ability, knowledge, creativity, uniqueness and SKILL it seems very, uhhh, American and, uhhh, stereotypical White, to tell you the truth.

The people I chill with are World Citizens and members of the Human Race. Most are just Americans. Not White Americans, Africa Americans, Asian Americans. Just Americans. Trust me, to the myriad Americans out there who think that your cousins in Mexico or Africa or Indonesia are the same as you, you better untwist that notion. You are forever altered once you become an American or your ancestors relocate to this New World. Be proud that you are an American and nothing else. That’s your point of novelty. It IS the best place for us to be or else you’d be living in Siberia, Kosovo, Cairo, or Tokyo. Those places are alright, but they are pretty homogeneous and BORRRING!

“My” cadre includes physicians, dentists, lawyers, teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, paramedics, chefs, c.o.’s artists, execs, performers, producers– you catch my drift. Our one culture is based on free thought, leadership, good works, money-making, integrity, responsibility, accountability, wisdom, fairness, altruism, peace, unity, love and havin’ fun! IOW our culture is the true nature of real American culture. Oh and we are all very strong physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and most of all as an amalgam of diversity. The “Hybrid Vigor Theory” is in effect. Step.

Be careful not to let others define who you are. In the end it’s all just energy, regardless of our travails and endeavors. Make sure you create more positive than negative. Don’t let “the powers that be” dopplegang who we really are or can BE.

Peace,
B-Cuz

]]>Comment on About by Dahttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-34037
Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:58:05 +0000#comment-34037Than l you for the opportunity to include my two cents

I should say up front that I am not American. I have been here for a few years and I have had experiences with the ABW. I find that it is worn as a badge or honour. I completely respect the right of all to be disgusted at the ills and evils of the world. Becoming angry in turn is not a solution. We can act for change without acting in anger. Our anger can be channeled into something positive. I honestly believe that we accomplish less when we act in anger.

I don’t believe that not every expressions of disagreement or every note identifying acts of discrimination is posted in anger. Our host seems a little angry but she has provided a place where we might vent. I am not hereto tell anyone to get over anything because I have not walked in their shoe. I will however restate that acts carried out in anger is most often ineffective. We need to be deliberate and deliberative in our actions. It is only through action that we will b able to make a change. The actions starts with an improved self image. We are not an angry people. We are the foundation of civilization. What other people have endured and continues to endure all that we have? Let us wear that as a badge and continue to strive to reclaim our place.

Thanks for your time
Sprinta

]]>Comment on About by susiehttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-34011
Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:37:59 +0000#comment-34011Black Woman(not angry), on August 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 pm Said:
When i first came across this site i became very interested! I tought to myself “wow a powerful black woman is educating people of all kinds” But then i realized that other opinions which contradicted the ABW’s thoughts were immediately discouraged, i was disappointed. I sat here and read this entire blog dating back to 2006. I read the opinions of those like Steven, Angel H.,ABW, Juan, Darren, joe and others. People like Steven and others who told the angry black woman to just move on perhaps did not have that right because they have not experienced what she has. But at the same time she had a negative reaction to what he said, she completely shut off his thoughts and opinions and basically said “You don’t know anything, I AM right” and not in those exact words. Instead of asking him why he felt in such a way and getting him to comprehend why she feels the way she does. So in my own personal opinion…ABW, that’s defeating the cause. Yes perhaps you’re not here to debate psychologically with someone like him, but you can’t offer solutions if you’re not able to acknowledge others. I am a 26 year old college black woman and i am NOT angry. My Sista, i have been descriminated against many times, i have been believed to have less accomplishment capacity compared to other races. Am i angry? NO…becuase i am persuing(and with great success) a carreer 10x’s higher than that of those who doubted me. I am on top of my game. I have a question for those Angry black women, do you feel that all blacks are loud, ghetto, and less educated? NO, right?…well my sistas, the same way you preach those views you should preach that not all white people are the same! That same white person that may have denied you an opportunity in the past because of your race or judged you unfairly, is not the same white person that you will be faced with in the future. And if you take that negative belief with you, you take a great part in creating and fueling those “stereotypes” you yourself are trying to defeat. My SISTAS we all know our people were enslaved and treated horrendously but thankfully it came to END!!! Why are you blaming and taking your anger out on todays white man? Where they the one’s holding a whip to your back?Many of our people say “we don’t have have the same opportunity that the white man does”….THE HELL WE DO!, i am 6 months away from becoming a Microbiologist….And you know what if you ever feel like you’re not getting an equal opportunity….well guess what you gotta keep your head up and try elsewhere! If you come across someone who is being racist towards you, just laugh at their ignorence, because that’s what that person is, an ignorant human being which attempts to judge you knowing exactly nothing about you…he judges you off of assumption…. Don’t you know that our people suffered to get to where we are now? Don’t you know that our people put their lives on the line for our generation? People who hold on to that anger and refuse to let go are making sure that the stuggle our ancestors went though was all in VEIN!! I will never forget our people’s enslavement and i will make sure our future kids know, but i will not let it choose my future or create the type of person i am.Many of you ABW might be saying right now “well there’s people treating me bad now, i have a right to be angry”….you have the right to be angry if you choose to….but you will carry that anger with you for a long time and blogging will never be enough to help you release your anger! Till this day i bump into somebody who treats me unfair, even if it is indirectly, but guess what, i let it GO…because i am too smart of a person to let someone elses view of me have any affect on who i know i am. I seen previous blogs about black men leaving their women, and not having jobs..and too many kids….Sistas don’t try to block the sun with one finger, some of our men ARE like that, and you know it!….but guess what…not ALL of them are like that…why should we get angry when someone says this….Previously someone stated that we comlain about our men being low lifes, and “letting” them be that, but yet we wanted the thug with the gold tooth….well guess what that’s true as well, if you’re going to choose a man with those qualities, don’t complain about the way he treats you or the life style you live. . I am dating a wonderful black man with goals and dreams, and he isn’t “white washed” either. We know we are black and we enbrace it to the fullest. We have had other people of our own race tell us we were “trying” to be like the white man simply becase we have a good education and speak without slang. Well our own black people cry about how we are stereotyped as loud and ghetto but yet when a black person makes a change our own same black people do not support us. I AM NOT white…nor do i wish to be, I AM black and proud. When i come across a racist white person (which will happen) in the future i will not pass on the hatred they pour on me toward another white person…it is time to move on!…many of you “angry” black women can attack everything i say after i post this….if that’s the case so be it, keep ur anger, if not you can open your mind and choose to be better than that. I have no intensions of returning to this blog, so for anyone who wants to reply to me negatively, don’t waste you fingers…i won’t be seeing it….have a good life everyone and god bless♡

THIS WAS A GREAT BLOG………….!!!!!!!!!!! All angry black women read this over and over and over and over and over and over and over. YOU spread your own circle of hate–you are the worst kind–YET YOU THINK YOU HAVE JUST CAUSE…..

This may be a bit personal, but from one black woman to another, ” When”s the last time you had some awesome, angry, blow your back out ,toe curling sex with a black man?

I know, we have much bigger fish to fry as black women, but it’s friday night, I’m at home with a horrible sore throat, it’s that time of the month and I have election coverage fatigue.
I would say peace to you ABW, but with out justice, I know you don’t want it.

There appears no end to it, what there is for people of color to righteously rage against…And white people need to get upset about it, too. No matter how many disrgruntled , clueless white people there are who ask, “So what do *they* have to be so mad about? Why do *they* make everything about race?” As if everything weren’t already made into “about race” by white privilege, as if anger were not an utterly appropriate, human, loving response to systematic dehumanization.

And i say this, not as a person of color myself, but as the Euro grandma of a little man of African and Native American as well as Euro descent. He’s just three months old, and already I’ve had to tell someone not to call him a monkey.

No, not Amanda Marcotte, but someone who probably also didn’t seem to learn anything about why and how that “savage hunga-bunga Africa” imagery is not, um, the essence of progressiveness. Three months old, and the racial profiling has already begun…

]]>Comment on About by Kymberlynhttps://theangryblackwoman.wordpress.com/about/#comment-33262
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:33:36 +0000#comment-33262Thank you for this space. It is much needed in a world where black women’s issues do not matter and our voices are silenced. Shirley Chisholm once said, “black women are a part of everyone else’s agenda but our own”.

Personally, I embrace the moniker Angry Black Woman because it comes packed with a powerful history. A history of rebellion, resistence, resiliency and resolve. From Phyllis Wheatley to Harriet Tubman to Sojourner Truth to Ida Wells Barnett, to Rosa Parks to Fannie Lou Hamer to Shirley Chisholm to Barbara Jordan to Maxine Waters to Gwen Ifill…and the names stretch towards infinity. Call me “angry” and I’d say, “damn right”!

If black women were more angry these days, we wouldn’t have one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. If black women were more angry, thug rappers and their white enablers wouldn’t be getting filthy rich off our backs and that of our communities. If black women were more angry. mothers wouldn’t be burying their sons and daughters because of senseless gang violence. If black women were more angry, feminism wouldn’t dare assume that black women who are supporting Obama are doing so because of race.